1996–97 Minnesota Timberwolves season

The 1996–97 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 8th season in the National Basketball Association.[1] In the 1996 NBA draft, the Timberwolves selected Connecticut shooting guard Ray Allen with the fifth pick, but soon traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks for rookie point guard Stephon Marbury out of Georgia Tech.[2] Offseason acquisitions included acquiring James Robinson from the Portland Trail Blazers, and Cherokee Parks from the Dallas Mavericks, while signing free agents Dean Garrett and Chris Carr. The addition of Marbury made a positive effect on the entire team, as second-year star Kevin Garnett and Tom Gugliotta became the first Wolves to be selected to the All-Star team, both being selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game.

1996–97 Minnesota Timberwolves season
Head coachFlip Saunders
OwnersGlen Taylor
ArenaTarget Center
Results
Record40–42 (.488)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Midwest)
Conference: 6th (Western)
Playoff finishFirst Round
(Lost to Rockets 0–3)
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKLGT-TV, Midwest Sports Channel

The Timberwolves went on to make their first ever playoff appearance, finishing third in the Midwest Division with a 40–42 record. Marbury was selected to the All-Rookie First Team. In the first round of the playoffs, they were swept by the Houston Rockets in three straight games. Following the season, Robinson was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, and Garrett signed with the Denver Nuggets.

For the season, the Timberwolves changed their logo and uniforms adding dark blue and black to their color scheme. Their logo and uniforms would both last until 2008.

Draft picks
Main article: 1996 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
15Ray AllenSG United StatesConnecticut

Roster
Roster listing
Minnesota Timberwolves roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
SG 43 Carr, Chris 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 207 lb (94 kg) Southern Illinois
PF 17 Curley, Bill  (IN) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Boston College
SF 21 Garnett, Kevin 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Farragut Academy HS (IL)
C 22 Garrett, Dean 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Indiana
PF 24 Gugliotta, Tom 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) North Carolina State
PG 10 Heal, Shane 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Upper Yarra Secondary College (HS)
SG 31 Jordan, Reggie 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) New Mexico State
PG 3 Marbury, Stephon 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Georgia Tech
SF 42 Mitchell, Sam 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Mercer
C 44 Parks, Cherokee 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Duke
PG 30 Porter, Terry 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Wisconsin–Stevens Point
SG 26 Robinson, James 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Alabama
C 11 Vranković, Stojko 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 260 lb (118 kg) Croatia
SG 5 West, Doug 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Villanova
PG 4 Williams, Micheal  (IN) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Baylor
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster

Roster notes
  • Guard Micheal Williams missed the entire season due to a sore left heel injury.
  • Forward Bill Curley missed the entire season rehabilitating from surgery on his right knee.

Regular season

Season standings
Midwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Utah Jazz 6418.780–38–326–1519–5
x-Houston Rockets 5725.695730–1127–1419–5
x-Minnesota Timberwolves 4042.4882425–1615–2616–8
Dallas Mavericks 2458.2934014–2710–319–15
Denver Nuggets 2161.2564312–299–327–17
San Antonio Spurs 2062.2444412–298–338–16
Vancouver Grizzlies 1468.171508–336–356–18
1996–97 NBA West standings
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Utah Jazz6418.780–
2 y-Seattle SuperSonics5725.6957
3 x-Houston Rockets5725.6957
4 x-Los Angeles Lakers5626.6838
5 x-Portland Trail Blazers4933.59815
6 x-Minnesota Timberwolves4042.48824
7 x-Phoenix Suns4042.48824
8 x-Los Angeles Clippers3646.43928
9 Sacramento Kings3448.41530
10 Golden State Warriors3052.36634
11 Dallas Mavericks2458.29340
12 Denver Nuggets2161.25643
13 San Antonio Spurs2062.24444
14 Vancouver Grizzlies1468.17150
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents
1996-97 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA VAN WAS
Atlanta —3–11–31–33–12–01–11–32–01–13–12–01–11–24–02–03–11–33–14–01–12–02–02–01–14–01–12–02–1
Boston 1–3—0–40–41–21–11–10–41–10–21–20–21–10–41–30–20–40–40–41–31–11–10–21–10–23–10–20–20–4
Charlotte 3–14–0—0–43–11–12–02–22–02–02–21–11–11–22–22–04–03–11–24–01–10–22–02–02–02–20–22–03–1
Chicago 3–14–04–0—3–12–02–03–12–01–14–02–01–12–24–02–03–12–23–04–02–02–02–02–02–03–11–12–02–1
Cleveland 1–32–11–31–3—2–01–12–21–10–23–12–01–10–42–22–04–01–32–23–01–11–12–00–20–23–11–12–01–3
Dallas 0–21–11–10–20–2—3–10–20–40–41–12–20–40–20–21–31–11–11–12–01–31–32–21–31–30–21–33–10–2
Denver 1–11–10–20–21–11–3—0–21–31–30–21–30–40–21–10–41–10–20–21–12–20–42–22–20–41–10–43–11–1
Detroit 3–14–02–21–32–22–02–0—2–01–13–12–01–10–43–12–04–01–22–22–10–21–11–12–01–13–11–12–04–0
Golden State 0–21–10–20–21–14–03–10–2—0–41–11–30–40–21–11–32–00–21–12–00–42–21–34–00–42–00–43–10–2
Houston 1–12–00–21–12–04–03–11–14–0—1–13–13–10–21–14–02–01–10–22–02–22–24–03–13–11–12–23–12–0
Indiana 1–32–12–20–41–31–12–01–31–11–1—2–01–11–32–22–02–21–31–33–01–11–11–11–11–14–00–22–01–3
L.A. Clippers 0–22–01–10–20–22–23–10–23–11–30–2—2–20–22–01–31–10–21–11–12–20–42–24–01–32–01–34–00–2
L.A. Lakers 1–11–11–11–11–14–04–01–14–01–31–12–2—1–12–03–12–01–11–12–04–01–34–02–23–11–11–34–02–0
Miami 2–14–02–12–24–02–02–04–02–02–03–12–01–1—4–01–13–11–32–23–12–01–12–02–00–23–10–22–03–1
Milwaukee 0–43–12–20–42–22–01–11–31–11–12–20–20–20–4—0–22–11–22–23–11–10–20–21–11–13–11–12–01–3
Minnesota 0–22–00–20–20–23–14–00–23–10–40–23–11–31–12–0—2–01–11–11–13–12–20–44–00–41–11–34–01–1
New Jersey 1–34–00–41–30–41–11–10–40–20–22–21–10–21–31–20–2—2–21–32–21–10–21–12–01–10–30–22–01–3
New York 3–14–01–32–23–11–12–02–12–01–13–12–01–13–12–11–12–2—3–13–21–11–12–02–00–23–01–12–04–0
Orlando 1–34–02–10–32–21–12–02–21–12–03–11–11–12–22–21–13–11–3—2–21–12–01–11–11–14–00–21–11–3
Philadelphia 0–43–10–40–40–30–21–11–20–20–20–31–10–21–31–31–12–22–32–2—1–11–10–21–10–21–30–22–01–3
Phoenix 1–11–11–10–21–13–12–22–04–02–21–12–20–40–21–11–31–11–11–11–1—1–34–03–12–20–21–32–21–1
Portland 0–21–12–00–21–13–14–01–12–22–21–14–03–11–12–02–22–01–10–21–13–1—2–24–01–30–22–24–00–2
Sacramento 0–22–00–20–20–22–22–21–13–10–41–12–20–40–22–04–01–10–21–12–00–42–2—3–11–31–10–44–00–2
San Antonio 0–21–10–20–22–03–12–20–20–41–31–10–42–20–21–10–40–20–21–11–11–30–41–3—0–41–11–31–30–2
Seattle 1–12–00–20–22–03–14–01–14–01–31–13–11–32–01–14–01–12–01–12–02–23–13–14–0—2–01–34–02–0
Toronto 0–41–32–21–31–32–01–11–30–21–10–40–21–11–31–31–13–00–30–43–12–02–01–11–10–2—1–11–12–2
Utah 1–12–02–01–11–13–14–01–14–02–22–03–13–12–01–13–12–01–12–02–03–12–24–03–13–11–1—4–02–0
Vancouver 0–22–00–20–20–21–31–30–21–31–30–20–40–40–20–20–40–20–21–10–22–20–40–43–10–41–10–4—1–1
Washington 1–24–01–31–23–12–01–10–42–00–23–12–00–21–33–11–13–10–43–13–11–12–02–02–00–22–20–21–1—

Playoffs

West First Round

(3) Houston Rockets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves Last Playoff Meeting: Not available (first playoff series)

Game Date Visitor Score Home Score Record

(HOU-MIN)

 Venue Recap Television
1 April 24 Houston 112 Minnesota 95 1-0 The Summit, Houston 1
2 April 26 Houston 96 Minnesota 84 2-0 The Summit, Houston 2 NBC
3 April 29 Minnesota 120 Houston 125 3-0 Target Center, Minneapolis 3
Houston wins series 3–0

Player statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Chris Carr
Kevin Garnett
Dean Garrett
Tom Gugliotta
Shane Heal
Reggie Jordan
Stephon Marbury
Sam Mitchell
Cherokee Parks
Terry Porter
James Robinson
Stojko Vranković
Doug West

Playoffs
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Chris Carr
Kevin Garnett
Dean Garrett
Tom Gugliotta
Shane Heal
Stephon Marbury
Sam Mitchell
Cherokee Parks
Terry Porter
James Robinson
Stojko Vranković
Doug West

Awards and records

References
  1. 1996-97 Minnesota Timberwolves
  2. "PRO BASKETBALL; With the Draft Over, Trading Season Begins". New York Times. June 28, 1996. Retrieved July 21, 2017.

See also
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